How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
As if some among us—not-so-human-as-you-and-I—are disposable. And who selects and eliminates the disposable ones?
Government. (5.111-112)
According to Prejean, the political system decides who matters and who doesn't. Folks with power and money matter—they can pay lawyers and politicians to make sure they matter. Other people can't buy lawyers and politicians, and so they're disposable.
Quote #8
"No doubt about the politics in Robert's case," John says to me, "but the Pardon Board hearing isn't the place to bring it up." (8.13)
Robert was given the death penalty in large part because the D.A. wanted to make a show of giving someone the death penalty in order to show he was tough on crime. Robert knows this and wants to tell the Pardon Board about it so that they'll consider it and possibly commute his sentence. But his lawyer knows the Pardon Board will just get cranky if they're told that there's politics involved. It's not made exactly clear why they'd be upset… but maybe it's because, as we learn, the Pardon Board itself is corrupt: it takes political bribes. The people don't want to hear how politics distorts the system—because that would hit a little too close to home.
Quote #9
"Are you saying that if the Pardon Board recommends the death sentence, then the governor has something to stand behind and can say that he's only following the recommendations of the Board, and that way he doesn't have to face the political fallout of commuting a sentence? Is that the way it worked?" (8.110)
Marsellus explains that the Pardon Board never pardons anyone, because the governor worries it will look bad for him if he commutes a sentence. In fact, the governor even seems to have knowingly executed a probably innocent man rather than face the fallout of commuting a sentence. Well, well: it turns out that a man's life is less important than possible (not even certain, but possible) harm to the governor's electoral chances. That's politics.